Time is beginning to run out for the Pars as they go down with barely a whimper to St Johnstone. Trailing to two goals in two minutes (one to each Davidson) after a first half in which they offered precisely no attacking threat, Paul Burns pulled a goal back, only for Croft to put the result beyond doubt.

One feared for the Pars beforehand – top v bottom; free-scoring v worst defence; spoilt for choice v injury hit - pick your statistic. Any thoughts of a coupon buster would be tempered by the realistic expectation of a drubbing. As it happened it was two: a long-range thunderbolt from Mulgrew and a back-post tap-in from Forrest. Had it not been for Smith, it could, and should, have been a lot worse. Strangely, with Hibs failing to win despite leading at Half-time, the Pars may actually take some heart from the night.

Beforehand there was a real belief that the Pars could pull off a rare win against the beleaguered Glasgow giants, and this was given extra credence when Kirk gave the Pars the league early on. However, the twin blights of defensive errors and injuries persist at East End Park; Rangers were handed the lead by half-time through Healy and McCulloch and the Pars created too little to look like they were ever going to pull it back in the second period. Late goals by Aluko and Kerkar compounded the misery.

The Pars` search for a home win continues after they shared the points with Kilmarnock on a freezing February evening. Fowler gave the visitors the lead against the run of play midway through the half before Kirk equalised just before the break. Both sides spurned chances to score in the second half with late call up Smith being the busier of the two keepers.